Marvel’s ongoing domination of film continues with “Logan,” releasing nationwide on March 3. Award-winning actress Doris Morgado landed the role of Maria in the film that also stars Hugh Jackman, Sir Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook and Eriq LaSalle.

Morgado is best known for her work opposite Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, John Travolta, and Dwayne Johnson. She has worked with award-winning directors, including James Mangold, Juan Jose Campanella, Baltasar Kormakur, Shawn Levy and Chuck Russell. In taking on the role of Maria in “Logan,” she is once again elevating her acting game.

In the Beginning…

“I was born in Venezuela, and my family is Cuban,” Morgado says. “I was the first one born outside of Cuba. My grandfather was a political prisoner…” Political asylum was granted. She moved to Miami when she was five-years-old, and eventually got involved in local, professional theater.

The actress says, “When I was in college, I finally got the courage and told my mom, ‘Hey, I’ve always wanted to become an actress.’ And she said, ‘Well, that’s good. But, you’re getting a degree. I don’t care. You need something to fall back on.’” She obtained her degree in elementary education in Florida. From there, she moved to Atlanta and her star began to rise.

Upon moving to Atlanta, it was necessary to re-validate her degree, but something unexpected happened. “I decided to help a friend who had a car magazine,” notes the actress, who would photograph vehicles for the publication. “One of my first days there, I met a young man who was a car salesman, and an actor,” Morgado explains. “We started chatting it up and I said it was always my dream to become an actress. He said, ‘Well, you can do it now.’” Morgado was given the name of an acting school in Atlanta (Alliance Theatre). In her first semester, she met many people, and was encouraged to audition for various projects. Her breakthrough came in the form of a national Days Inn commercial, and she hasn’t looked back since. She now has more than 60 acting credits under her belt.

Landing ‘Logan’

The “Logan” script came to Morgado through her agency. “I’ve always been a huge fan of Marvel comics,” she explains. “I have two older brothers. Growing up, just so I could be around them, I had to start liking the things that they liked, which were comic books, WWE and Mortal Kombat. I was that typical tomboy.”

Growing up in a household that watched much Spanish television, Morgado says that she really resonated with the character of Storm from the “X-Men” Marvel series, rather than what she saw on television. “Storm looked like me,” she says. “I remember all the girls on the telenovelas at that time were blond and light-skinned. I never felt like I belonged to anything.” When her brothers would collect Marvel cards, they would always give her the ones that featured Storm. Her connection with the Marvel universe would come full circle with “Logan.”

“When the opportunity came (for the role of Maria), it was obviously a no-brainer,” says Morgado. “I was like, ‘Ok, I get to be in a movie that I was a childhood fan of. Sign me up! Yes, please!’”

She continues, “What I can say about the movie is that it’s going to be very character driven and I think that the fans are really, really going to enjoy it. James Mangold is an amazing director and what he’s done with the ‘Logan’ film is something I don’t think has been seen in any of the Marvel movies. I think it’s going to set a new standard for what I think fans are going to want, and will look forward to in the other movies that come out.”

On Set

The experience of working with Jackman and Stewart on the set of “Logan” was memorable for Morgado. “I would say that when you go into a film, especially one of this magnitude and one with such big names, as a fan, you go in with the hopes that everything is going to be absolutely amazing,” explains the actress. “So, when you’re not working on it, you’re still part of that fan base and that family. At the same time, as an actor, you’re hoping the same thing as a professional. Everything I had hoped and dreamed about on this set, was that, and so much more.” She calls out all her fellow actors and the crew for being top-notch professionals.

“I was happy to be part of that environment, sit back and look at the other actor’s work and see how flawlessly they do it. I sat there and went, ‘Wow, I’m a part of this. I’m sitting here watching them and learning from them,’” finishes Morgado.

More About Doris Morgado

Ms. Morgado's ability to continuously work with such great directors is due in part to the training she's received in some of the most prestigious acting schools in Los Angeles. Doris has trained at Warner Loughlin Studio, Diana Castle's The Imagined Life, and The BGB Studio. She has also trained at The Groundlings and in Scott Sedita's Sitcom Acting Studio.

Fluent in both Spanish and English, Morgado loves working with at-risk youth, victims of sex trafficking and animal rescue centers. When she's not on set, you can find Ms. Morgado training hard at a local boot camp gym to help tone and lean out her body for her upcoming lead role in an action film.

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